Shehbaz Sharif elected unopposed as new Pakistan PM amid PTI boycott, Imran Khan resigns from National Assembly

New Pakistan PM: Shehbaz Sharif, Leader of Opposition and President of PML-N was elected unopposed as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on April 11, 2022. Sharif secured 174 votes as per PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after the resignation of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri ahead of the vote.

#WATCH | Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan opposition leader, elected new PM

Source: PTV pic.twitter.com/lYcOeYbwQp

— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

Shehbaz Sharif replaces Imran Khan, who became the first Pakistani Prime Minister to be ousted from power after losing the no-trust vote in the National Assembly. Imran Khan resigned as a member of the National Assembly ahead of the election of the New Prime Minister.  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MLAs also boycotted the session and staged a walkout. PTI Prime Ministerial candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi also announced a walkout. 

After his election, the new Pakistan PM said, "Today, the almighty has saved Pakistan and the 22 crore people of the country. This is the first time when the vote of no-confidence motion was successfully passed. The people of this country will celebrate this day."

Today, the almighty has saved Pakistan and the 22 crore people of the country. This is the first time when the vote of no-confidence motion was successfully passed. The people of this country will celebrate this day: Newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

(Source: PTV) pic.twitter.com/R1wGq4FQdW

— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

Both Sharif and Qureshi had filed their nominations for the top post on April 10th. While Sharif's candidature was put forward by a joint opposition, Qureshi was the PTI candidate. The 70-year-old Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He had been the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly since August 2018 and was serving as the Chief Minister of Punjab prior to that. 

Who is Shehbaz Sharif?

Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, who is currently disqualified from contesting in elections. The joint Opposition comprising the socialist Pakistan Peoples Party, Balochistan Awami Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) and right-leaning PML (Nawaz) and religious Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam of Maulana Fazlur Rehman had proposed Shehbaz's name as their Prime Ministeral candidate. 

Read More Here: Who is Shehbaz Sharif?

Imran Khan resigns from National Assembly

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to resign from the National Assembly, saying that he will not sit in the assemblies with 'thieves'. The PTI Chief said, "The man who has 16 billion and 8 billion rupees of corruption cases, whoever selects and elects the Prime Minister can not be a big insult to the country. We are resigning from the National Assembly."

Imran Khan loses trust vote

The nominations come a day after Pakistan PM Imran Khan lost the no-trust late night on April 9th with 174 votes in favour of the no-confidence motion in the 342-member assembly, which is above the majority mark of 172. PTI Chief Imran Khan and MLAs were absent during the vote. 

Scenes from outside Pakistan National Assembly in Islamabad

The National Assembly of Pakistan will elect a new Prime Minister today, after Imran Khan lost the trust vote pic.twitter.com/zeSrxxH7EH

— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

Imran Khan has become the first-ever Pakistani Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence motion in the assembly and face removal in such a manner. Imran Khan has alleged foreign conspiracy in the toppling of his government. The PTI has decided to submit en masse resignations in the National Assembly.

Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that they are resigning. Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry announced that the PTI has decided to resign from the assemblies and this process will start from the National Assembly after the election of the Prime Minister today.

PTI MNAs will resign en masse from the National Assembly, the party has decided: Pakistan's Samaa

— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

Mass Protests in Pakistan

The voting for the new Prime Minister will take place in the National Assembly amid mass protests across the country by supporters of Imran Khan. PTI had organised mass rallies across several cities on April 10th to protest the ouster of Imran Khan. Imran Khan himself had called his supporters to take the streets in protest against an “imported government”. 

The protest rallies were organised in cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Malakand, Khyber, Multan Khanewal and Jhang. Imran Khan further riled up the protestors by tweeting, "Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy."

Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 10, 2022

Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks. pic.twitter.com/YWrvD1u8MM

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 10, 2022